Muslim Brotherhood in Switzerland (2)

Hat tip La Reference

As part of our series on the Muslim Brotherhood in Western Europe, I am translating and cross-posting the second of articles on the Muslim Brotherhood in Switzerland. The first was in Italian and focused on the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. This one is written in French in La Reference.

Note that the article, like many articles in various European languages, has different was of referring to the Muslim Brotherhood (“Group, Frères, Frères Musulmanes, etc.) Where applicable I have substituted them with “MB”, (Muslim Brotherhood), for clarity.

https://www.lareference-paris.com/2189

Private associations in the arms of the Muslim Brotherhood in Switzerland
Monday, 28 January 2019-01:51

Switzerland is among the first European countries where the international organization of the Muslim Brothers (Muslim Brotherhood) put into execution their plan of utilization of civil and social organizations as a means of hiding the penetration of Western societies according to the “strategy of civilizational jihad”.

Thus, after the expulsion of elements of the cadres of the Brotherhood in Egypt after the discovery of their plan during the regime of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, the group began to create fiefdoms to control the Muslims of the West and form a new parallel front. The Islamic Center of Geneva was one of the most important of these fiefdoms. Founded by Said Ramadan (secretary of Hassan al-Banna and his son-in-law) at the beginning of the 1960s, it continued to offer to the Muslim community and to the Brothers of this country. Companies and businesses belong to the Brothers.

Youssef Nada

The branch of the Brothers in Switzerland has been characterized by a rapid growth, given the economic prosperity of the State and its investment companies. That is how the organization has sought to put itself in a distinguished place among them, and this through the Egyptian businessman of Italian nationality, Youseff Nada. In effect, the Swiss press has revealed that Youssef Nada   had violated the travel ban imposed against him by the United Nations in 2002 (after having been accused by American authorities of using the At-Taqwa Bank, which he had funded to finance terrorism), and he left Italy for Switzerland, to liquidate the financial activities of the phony companies and charitable associations he directed to the advantage of the (MB) in the country.

 Hassan Abou Youssef

This member of the (MB) owns the Stahel Hardmeyer company AG estate liquidation, which was established in 1997, with a capital of 2 million Swiss francs. The commerce of textiles and clothing represents it s principal front activity. Another company owned by this individual: BS Altena AG, established in 2010 and active in the domain of real estate. The fact that some elements of the (MB) own companies secretly funding the Group makes it hard to discover funding and identity of the beneficiaries.

The (MB’s) companies continue to expand within the country and represent an efficient means of utilizing donations and contributions in the funding of the activities of the (MB).

The Islamic Association of Ticino

The Islamic Association of the canton of Ticino is one of the most important charitable organizations of the MB in Switzerland. Founded in 1992, the president of its administrative council is Ali Ghalib Himmat (one of the MB cadres in Europe, of Syrian origin), another Egyptian adjutant Mohammad Mahmoud Abdel Muti, and the French-Tunisian, Mohammad Karmouz, who is one of the eminent personalities of the MB in Europe, and the Libyans Sulayman Sulayman and Fahim al-Muhib, as well as Saad Abou Zayd Ibrahim, an Egyptian of Italian nationality who left the administrative council in 2002. He was followed in November 2003 by Ahmed Idriss Nasreddine, a Kuwaiti businessman of Italian nationality, who worked first in the Bin Laden company and owns a number of investment companies in Panama, of which (there are) the Cosmo Building Materials Inc, founded in 1995, and a company holding, the Nigerian Securities Management Company, another 4 companies registered in Panama between 1992 and 1995. According to Swiss registers, the Islamic Association of the Canto of Ticino is a non-profit religious organization founded to encourage religious practice and spread the Islamic conscience, and assist members and other Muslims in fulfilling their duties vis-a-vis  themselves and their families, and in collaboration with other Islamic organizations. It is funded by obligatory monthly contributions from active members and from others, and by donations. The association is managed by a Committee composed of 5 to 7 founding members and by other administrative bodies.

 Documents published by the press also show that the Islamic Association of the canton had a budget of 414,500 US dollars in 2006. 

Mithak Euro-Swiss Foundation

It was founded in April 2010, with the aim of bettering the image of Muslims in Switzerland, and Swiss registers do not indicate the manner in which this organization is financed. However, its budget for 2009 states that the remaining funds after deducting activity costs reach the value of 192,000 dollars. The archives indicate also that the administrative council consists of at least 5 members, aside from the auditors and board of trustees.

Social-Cultural  Center of Lausanne

The Social-Cultural Center of Lausanne (Islamic Cultural Center of Lausanne) the privileged auxiliary of the (MB) in this city. It was created in 2002, and depends for its funding from  membership fees, donations, endowments and other investments, according the constitutive files of the association in Switzerland. The goal of this association is cultural, religious and social promotion, and cooperation with other organizations. Their executive director is Mohamed Karmous, and their treasurer is Ahmed Ben Rahouma, of Tunisian origin and Swiss nationality. 

The Muslim League of Switzerland

This is another important institution dependent on the international Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 2006, it depends on its funding on membership fees, which exceeds 500. As for the the Islamic Union of Teachers, it was founded in January 2010 by the MB personality found in the majority of organizations, Mohammad Karmouz, and with the aid of Kuwaiti national Abdallah al-Kandari. The league assists in defending labor and professional rights and maintains that is funding consists of membership fees, though Swiss reports affirm that its assets reached the value of 479,000 dollars in 2009.

The League of Islamic Organizations of Zurich


The League of Islamic Organizations of Zurich was founded in 1996 by a Swiss citizen of Egyptian origin, Ismail Amin, and is considered a Brotherhood organization  known in the country and which hides behind preaching and charitable activities, claiming that its financing comes from  contributions.

Islamic Community Foundation of Zurich

Ismail Amin has also contributed, along with 23 figures of the group, including Hassan Abou Youssef, nationality Swiss, Mohammad Ibrahim, the other associate of Youssef Nada, Mohammad Mansour and others in founding the Islamic Community Foundation of Zurich in 1994. They claim that their revenue comes from donations from members, but press reports affirm that the liquid assets of the organization reached 166,000 dollars 2006, in addition to 213,000 Swiss francs.

 Foundation of works with social-cultural influence

Founded at the beginning of 2010, it has as its aim the contribution to cultural life, facilitation of the integration of Muslims into society and cultural exchange. It is a non-profit organization according to Swiss registers. 

According to reports, its financial assets amount to 400,000 pounds dollars (???). It is also headed by Mohamed Karmous and Nadia Karmous.

International Islamic Charitable Organization of Geneva:

This also belongs to the (MB) and was founded in 2001 as a charitable association to help the needy. Its board of directors is composed of 31 members of which the most known are Ghalib Himmat, Youssef al-Qaradawi and Zaghloul an-Naggar.

The role of (MB) media organizations in the demonstrations in France

In addition, certain commentators believe that the danger of the MB network in Switzerland doesn’t stop there, and that these organizations acted in concert to avenge the founder of the principal entity of the (MB) in the country, Said Ramadan and defending his son, Tarek. Ramadan is implicated in rape incidents and is currently incarcerated in France after Swiss authorities revealed his misdeeds. That’s why some think that the elements of the (MB)  felt in danger and wanted to stir up the latest protests in France known under the name of the Yellow Vests.

Admittedly these protests were initially focused on social and economic demands, but some maintain that the (MB) contributed in stirring them up and directing them to violence, as it did with the revolutions in the Arab world, transforming them into civil wars encouraged by the MB through their media arms.

And following the organization’s intensive use of its media arms, a French site, G-Forum, followed by other French sites, indicated that the media coverage of the demonstrations in France had shown that the (MB) and its channels, like Al-Jazeera followed the same method that they had followed  with the revolutions in the Middle East, by re-showing certain scenes provoking the anger of people, and by focusing on it as if it was the only aspect of the events, and by calling on the citizens to participate.